Schedule of Classes and Assignments Spring 2007

We'll try to stick to this schedule but there's always the possibility that something might change. Stay tuned to the announcements on the main class page for updates.

Syllabus

Week of Monday Wednesday Friday
January 15
Week 1 		no class -- MLK Introduction and Syllabus
Animations from classes in previous years
Animations:
  • Oral Fixations
Break
Maya Demonstrations
  • desktop
  • polygonal modeling
  • basic mapping
  • lighting
----
January 22
Week 2 		Storyboard clips from Monsters
Animations:
  • The Dog Who Was A Cat Inside - Passion Pictures (Issue 144, SIGGRAPH '03)
  • It's not the end of the world - Super Furry Animal - Duran Duboi (Issue 141, SIGGRAPH '02)
  • Liquid Selves, Karl Sims (Issue 81, SIGGRAPH '92)
Maya Demonstrations
  • deformers + blendshapes
  • keyframing
  • camera
  • rendering
  • keyframing
  • layering
Reading:
  • pages 2-55 in Inspired 3D Short Film Production

Assignment 1 out

Sampler of ideas for technical projects
Animations:
  • Bunny - Blue Sky
  • Bingo (Issue 125, SIGGRAPH '98)
  • The Street (Hollywood Salutes Canadian Animation)
Maya Demonstrations
  • demo of setting up AFS space (Ian)
  • mapping (Ian)
  • rigging (Ian)
Work time 		----
January 29
Week 3 		Field trip for Mocap Lab Demo

Field trip to Linux Cluster
Maya Demonstrations

  • setting up menus under linux (rys)

Storyboard due as a powerpoint file (firstnamelastname.ppt)(Tuesday noon)

Pitch storyboards (5 minutes/each)
First half of the storyboards
Second half of the storyboards
----
February 5
Week 4 		Pitch storyboards (5 minutes/each)
Vote for ~20 storyboards
Form two person teams to refine storyboards (via email)

Assignment 1 due (Tuesday noon)

Assignment 2 out

Critique Assignment 1 (graded)
  • Group 1: 1:30
  • Group 2: 2:30
Work time otherwise
Readings:
----
February 12
Week 5 		Animations
  • Tim Tom (Issue 144, SIGGRAPH 2003 ET)
  • Nature is Ancient (Issue 144, SIGGRAPH 2003 ET)

Maya Demonstrations
  • shaders and MentalRay (Leo)
  • Strokes (weiting)
  • Particle systems (weiting)
  • dynamic simulation (rys)
Work time

Animations:
  • Solder Man (Issue 145, SIGGRAPH 145 CAF)
  • For the Birds (Pixar, Monster's Inc DVD)
  • Geri's Game (Pixar, A Bug's Life DVD)

Maya Demonstrations
  • C++ programming demo (rys)
  • controllers, set-driven keys, and referencing (Leo)
  • trax editor
Work time

Revised storyboards due Sunday at noon

February 19
Week 6 		Pitch revised storyboards
Voting for storyboards
Composers in class
Form teams (email)
Readings:
  • Chapter 12 Model in Inspired 3D Short Film Production
  • Chapter 19 Visual Effects in Inspired 3D Short Film Production
Work time

Assignment 2 due Tuesday at noon

Critique Assignment 2 (graded)
  • Group 1: 1:30
  • Group 2: 2:45
First group meetings otherwise
Start webpages for animations

Assignment 3 out

----
February 26
Week 7 		Maya Demonstrations
  • fluids (rys)
  • fur (Jimmy)
  • hair (Jimmy
Animations:
  • Cubic Tragedy (National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, SIGGRAPH Video Review Issue 150)
  • Sprout (PDI Dreamworks, SIGGRAPH Video Review Issue 141)
  • Pirates of the Caribbean
  • Gas Planet (PDI, SIGGRAPH Video Review Issue 91 SIGGRAPH 1993 ET)
Readings:
  • Chapters 10 and 11 in Inspired 3D Short Film Production
Work time
Maya Demonstrations Discussion of animatics
  • Grinning Evil Death + Animatic
  • Antz
Animations:
  • Noggin (Brigham Young University, SIGGRAPH Video Review Issue #153)
Work time

Complete storyboards due (midnight Sunday)

March 5
Week 8 		Critique complete storyboards (separate)
  • Snaxz 1:30
  • Eye to Eye 2:10
  • Snowman 2:45
  • Bad Hair 3:20
Work time otherwise

Assignment 3 due (midnight Tuesday)

Critique assignment 3 (graded)
Whole class
----
March 12
spring break
midterm grades due 		spring break ----
March 19
Week 9 		Animations:
  • Discord Metal and Meat (SIGGRAPH 2006 Electronic Theater)
  • Doll Face (SIGGRAPH 2006 Electronic Theater)
  • The Building (SIGGRAPH 2006 Electronic Theater)
  • 458NM (SIGGRAPH 2006 Electronic Theater)
  • Toohey's War (SIGGRAPH 2006 Electronic Theater)
Work time

Animations:
  • The Fall (SIGGRAPH 2004 Animation Theater)
  • Louis (SIGGRAPH 2004 Animation Theater)
Work time
Reading:
  • Chapter 16 Animation in Inspired 3D Short Film Production
Animatic due (Sunday noon)
Video editing workshops are on Friday afternoon. Equipment workshops are from 3 - 4 PM. Editing workshops are from 4 - 5. To sign up for a workshop go to the Ccon office in CFA
March 26
Week 10 		Group critiques of animatics (whole class) (graded)
Work time otherwise
Skinning Demo: Moshe Mahler
Animations:
  • Balance
  • Fog (SIGGRAPH 2006 Animation Theater)
Reading:
  • Chapter 18 Lighting and Rendering in Inspired 3D Short Film Production
Work time 		Video editing workshops are on Friday afternoon. Equipment workshops are from 3 - 4 PM. Editing workshops are from 4 - 5. To sign up for a workshop go to the Ccon office in CFA.
April 2
Week 11 		Animations:
  • Chainsmoker (SIGGRAPH 2003 Electronic Theater, Issue 144)
  • Helium (SIGGRAPH 2005 Electronic Theater, Issue 150)
  • Walking
  • Ryan
Work time

Models, preliminary animation, and sample rendering/lighting examples due (Tuesday noon)
Critique Models, preliminary animation, and sample rendering/lighting examples (separate) (graded)
  • Eye to Eye 1:30
  • Snowman 2:15
  • Bad Hair 3:00
  • Snaxz 3:40
Video editing workshops are on Friday afternoon. Equipment workshops are from 3 - 4 PM. Editing workshops are from 4 - 5. To sign up for a workshop go to the Ccon office in CFA.
April 9
Week 12 		Animations:
  • The Fall (SIGGRAPH 2004 Animation Theater Issue 148)
  • La Derniere Minute (SIGGRAPH 2005 Electronic Theater Issue 150)
  • East End Zombies (SIGGRAPH 2005 Electronic Theater Issue 150)
Work time 		Group critiques (separate)
  • Snowman 1:30
  • Bad Hair 2:15
  • Snaxz 3:00
  • Eye to Eye 3:40
Work time otherwise 		Video editing workshops are on Friday afternoon. Equipment workshops are from 3 - 4 PM. Editing workshops are from 4 - 5. To sign up for a workshop go to the Ccon office in CFA.
April 16
Week 13 		Animation:
  • Beat Dedication (SIGGRAPH 1988 Film and Video Show)
  • Roadhead
  • Snack and Drink
  • Waking Life Chapter
Work time 		Critique (whole class) (graded)
Video editing workshops are on Friday afternoon. Equipment workshops are from 3 - 4 PM. Editing workshops are from 4 - 5. To sign up for a workshop go to the Ccon office in CFA.
April 23
Week 14 		Animations:
  • The Aeronaut (Siggraph issue 154)
  • Gjenta (Siggraph issue 141)
  • Kein Platz fur Gerold (Ars Electronica 2006)
Work time 		Group critiques (separate, ungraded)
  • Bad Hair 1:30
  • Snaxz 2:15
  • Eye to Eye 3:00
  • Snowman 3:40
Work time otherwise 		Video editing workshops are on Friday afternoon. Equipment workshops are from 3 - 4 PM. Editing workshops are from 4 - 5. To sign up for a workshop go to the Ccon office in CFA
April 30
Week 15 		Animations:
  • Fallen Art (SIGGRAPH Electronic Theater 2005, Issue 150)
  • Memorial (SIGGRAPH Issue 155)
  • The Regulator (Ars Electronica 2006 and SIGGRAPH Animation Theater 2005, Issue 152)
Work time 		Group critiques (separate, ungraded)
  • Snaxz 1:30
  • Eye to Eye 2:15
  • Snowman 3:00
  • Bad Hair 3:40
Work time otherwise 		----
Final exam slot May 14

Final Presentations during final exam slot (graded)
May 14 1-4pm CFA 303

End of Semester ----